Australia’s under-16 social media ban triggers mixed reactions as families adjust

Australia’s ban on social media access for under-16s has only been in place for a short time, but its impact is already rippling through households across the country.

The rule, introduced this week, instantly cut millions of young people off from platforms they had been using daily — a shift that has prompted relief in some families, frustration in others, and creative workarounds among tech-savvy teens.

Guardian Australia, which has tracked the policy’s development over the past year, invited readers to share how the change was playing out in real time. Their accounts reflect a sharply divided public reckoning with the question at the heart of the ban: does it protect children, or does it push them further into harm?

A number of parents reported that the change had unexpectedly improved family life.

One mother told the Guardian that her son had become noticeably more engaged, even asking to spend time together after school, something he rarely did while preoccupied with endless video feeds. Other parents said their children had already been easing away from apps in the weeks before the ban, making the adjustment smooth and even welcome. They described quieter houses, more conversation, and a renewed sense of presence.

But alongside relief came deeper anxieties.

Some parents said they had long been disturbed by what their children absorbed online. One mother said her six-year-old, who mainly used YouTube, had already begun worrying about her looks and exhibiting early signs of body-image issues. Another parent said her teenage son felt unexpectedly relieved to lose access to Snapchat, describing it as an environment where “nothing good” seemed to happen, even if he feared that meeting new friends would now be harder.

Yet despite strict age verification checks, many families reported that teenagers were easily bypassing them.

Parents said their children — and sometimes even younger friends — had managed to pass facial-recognition tests on apps like TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram. In some cases, teens were helping entire friend circles circumvent the restrictions. This uneven access, parents said, was already creating new social divides: some teenagers still enjoyed their online spaces, while others found themselves abruptly cut off.

For families in regional and remote areas, the stakes felt even higher.

Parents from smaller communities expressed fear that socially isolated young people would lose one of their only avenues of connection and support. Families of children with disabilities — including one parent of an autistic teenager — echoed similar concerns, warning that their children’s limited offline social opportunities would shrink further.

Others criticised the timing, noting that the ban arrived just as school holidays began. They said many teenagers had relied solely on social media to coordinate outings and plans, and without phone numbers or alternative contacts, some feared becoming suddenly disconnected from their peers. Grandparents also worried that the ban would cut off communication with grandchildren who used platforms like Snapchat to stay in touch.

Still, many parents supported the decision.

They said they finally felt backed by the government in setting boundaries around digital use, arguing that too many families underestimated the risks of unregulated online spaces. But others saw the policy as punitive, saying it placed responsibility on children rather than forcing tech companies to fix harmful features. Some described the ban as alienating for teenagers who felt distrusted by adults.

A smaller group reported practical consequences. One parent said their son, who had been earning money by creating YouTube videos, had stopped producing content entirely once he learned the platform would be affected.

For now, families agree on one thing: it is too early to tell how the ban will reshape young people’s lives. Some already see calmer evenings and hope that books or offline hobbies might fill the void. Others fear it will only push children toward more obscure — and potentially more dangerous — corners of the internet.